School admission appeals in South West
The 14 councils in South West heard 2,233 school admission appeals in 2025 and upheld 564. Within the region the spread is wide: 35.6% of appeals were upheld in Dorset against 14.6% in Somerset.
26.3%
of appeals heard in South West were upheld
1,844 of 7,015 appeals heard in 2023–2025
Councils in South West
| Council | Heard | Upheld | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucestershire | 1,856 | 583 | 31.4% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 894 | 197 | 22% |
| Bristol, City of | 723 | 197 | 27.2% |
| Somerset | 645 | 94 | 14.6% |
| Cornwall | 437 | 148 | 33.9% |
| Dorset | 390 | 139 | 35.6% |
| South Gloucestershire | 376 | 88 | 23.4% |
| Wiltshire | 341 | 106 | 31.1% |
| Devon | 337 | 89 | 26.4% |
| Swindon | 279 | 56 | 20.1% |
| Plymouth | 269 | 44 | 16.4% |
| Torbay | 188 | 33 | 17.6% |
| North Somerset | 160 | 33 | 20.6% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 120 | 37 | 30.8% |
Reading these numbers fairly
A council's rate reflects its schools, its panels and which cases get lodged there — not how strong your case is. It is useful context, not a forecast. Nobody publishes appeal outcomes for individual schools.